New Laws and Updates

If you or someone you know is about to get their first drivers license, it is important to remember that the driving laws have changed.

According to the Texas Transportation Code (section545.424(a)) During the 6-month period following issuance of an original Class A, B or C driver's license, a person under 18 years of
age may not operate a motor vehicle (i) between midnight and5 a. m., unless necessary for employment or school-related activity or because of a medical emergency, or (ii) with more
than one passenger under 21 uears of age in the vehicle who
is not a family member.

This means that you new drivers under the age of 18 can't have more than one non family member in your vehicle that is under the age of 21. It may sound like a harsh law, but keep in mind that the period after getting your first license is an adjustment period and you need to learn the rules of the road without the distractions that friends sometimes cause.

Pickup Trucks
There have been several instances of traffic stops in which it was discovered that there were children under the age of 18 in the bed of a pickup truck. The law regarding this activity was changed last year and it now states:

It is unlawful to operate an open-bed pick-up truck or open
flatbed truck or to draw an open flatbed trailer at any
speed while a child uner 18 years of age occupies the bed of the
truck or trailer.

The only time a child may ride in the bed of a pickup is while in a parade, while transporting farm workers from one field to another, while on a beach, operating as a hayride, or when the vehicle is the only one owned by members of the driver's household.